Alfred Wright - common name, few details!

[nd_SAOZ]

Hi,

Alfred Wright is my g-g-g-grandfather. He emigrated from England to South Africa in 1859 with his wife and two children. I have been unable to locate him in the 1851 census, or to find any details of his birth.

I've carefully scoured the documents I do have, but know very little:

• He married in 1856 in Dover, Kent, listed as belonging to the parish he married in, and a bachelor.
• Listed as full age, so born 1835 or before.
• Father is listed as John Wright, occupation appears to be musician. Father does not sign as a witness to the marriage.
• Alfred himself is a cordwainer. Later records in South Africa say shoemaker.
• He died in August 1916, and his South African Death Notice gives his age as 89 years and 9 months, which calculates to a birth year of 1826, I think.Unfortunately his wife was long deceased, so I'm not sure about the reliability of this information, provided by his son.
• The death notice says he was born in England but doesn't include place or parents.

Any ideas on how to track him down? I haven't had any luck with the 1851 census. My next step is to look at every result of an Alfred Wright who isn't married or living with a father NOT called John...

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Nikki

[Lesley Robertson]

As you are no doubt aware, this is not a rare name, so every bit of information is needed to pick him out from the crowd. The most obvious likely useful info are the names and ages of his wife and children. Also, his place of birth if you know it, even at county level.
When someone is described as belonging to a Parish, it doesn’t always mean born the. He could have moved there and registered as a member of the Church.

[wimsey]

wife Sarah Ann Ashenden (died 24 December 1870) daughter of Thomas Ashenden

son Thomas William Wright - 1856 - Dover - 2a/623

looks like twin of
Emily Wright - 1856 - Dover - 2a/623

[Megan Roberts]

The only 1841 Census in Kent where you get an Alfred and John Wright together is this one:
Archive reference HO107
Piece number 464
Book number 7
Folio number 24
Page number 3

[wimsey]

there is an 1851 census where a John Wright is specifically described as a "musician" but at 43 years of age I would think too young to be the father of your Alfred

HO107; piece 1553; folio 79; page 29 - Mile End Old Town, Middlesex


if we say that Alfred WAS born about 1826 I guess he is possibly/probably unlikely to be on the 1851 census with parents

[nd_SAOZ]

Thanks, yes, that's the one. I have this marriage, and the children. They traveled together to South Africa, and had a number of children from 1860. I might be missing a child around 1858, possibly born / lost aboard the ship. But I don't have a record of him before the marriage.

[nd_SAOZ]

there is an 1851 census where a John Wright is specifically described as a "musician" but at 43 years of age I would think too young to be the father of your Alfred

HO107; piece 1553; folio 79; page 29 - Mile End Old Town, Middlesex


if we say that Alfred WAS born about 1826 I guess he is possibly/probably unlikely to be on the 1851 census with parents

I think you're correct. He seems to have emigrated with his children to Australia.

[nd_SAOZ]

As you are no doubt aware, this is not a rare name, so every bit of information is needed to pick him out from the crowd. The most obvious likely useful info are the names and ages of his wife and children. Also, his place of birth if you know it, even at county level.
When someone is described as belonging to a Parish, it doesn’t always mean born the. He could have moved there and registered as a member of the Church.

I do have details of his marriage and children, but they don't add anything except his father's name and occupation. Perhaps it's relevant that the children born in South Africa were baptised in the Methodist / Wesleyan Church. None of the baptisms have witnesses who might indicate family relations.

[nd_SAOZ]

The only 1841 Census in Kent where you get an Alfred and John Wright together is this one:
Archive reference HO107
Piece number 464
Book number 7
Folio number 24
Page number 3

That Alfred's birth date is too late to match the marriage certificate, unfortunately. I was optimistic about an 1851 census result for an Alfred Wright living with a John Sadd, shoemaker, and listed as brother. I was able to confirm that John's wife Elizabeth was a Wright, but unfortunately their father was Isaac, not John. So, another dead end...

[wimsey]

I think you're correct. He seems to have emigrated with his children to Australia.

sorry, do you mean John Wright emigrated to Australia ? In your opening post you said that Alfred Wright emigrated to South Africa in 1859